The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
October 18, 2026
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      • 1 Corinthians 1:18NASB95

  • Holy Forever
  • Doxology
  • They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love
  • Sweet Hour Of Prayer (Hour Of Prayer)
  • Sweet By And By
  • ILLUST:
    “Wash your hands” from our mothers. Apparently, some nineteenth-century doctors needed our mothers.
    In 1847, a physician named Ignaz Semmelweis introduced hand disinfection in a maternity clinic. Deaths among the mothers dropped dramatically. You would think everybody would celebrate and line up at the washbasin.
    Instead, his findings met resistance.
    Imagine the frustration: you have something to tell people that could save lives, and they won’t accept it.
    Sharing the gospel can feel that way. We love people. We tell them the truth about Jesus. Yet sometimes they seem unwilling even to listen.
    That’s why Paul’s request matters: Pray for us. Pray that God’s Word will spread and be honored.
    We need to pray for receptive hearts—and pray for one another to keep speaking with love when the response is discouraging.
    READ 2 Thess 3:1-5
    OK - Got it with the false teaching warnings
    Let’s spread the Word, share the Gospel, see this Kingdom grow
    Paul is confident they can do this
    I am confident we can, too

    1) Prayer Requested

    Paul pushes the junk, the distraction, the opposition to the background
    It’s still there - FINE
    There are things we cannot control or change, so we yield to the LORD
    TODAY, right now, there are pastors preaching the Gospel
    They need prayers, they seek prayer
    My aim is to always preach truth, and share the Gospel
    I covet your prayers
    With all the challenges, struggles, hardship
    …there is a common bond
    We have a common Lord
    We have a common faith
    We have in common that things do not always go as planned or go well
    And our common Lord is FAITHFUL
    So we have joy, confidence, that we WILL persevere in this faith
    Pray for me as I share the Gospel, it is encouraging
    Pray for all of us as we do the same
    Prayer is a great way that we can minister together
    TWO PARTS OF PAUL’S PRAYER
    1 - The word to spread rapidly
    Evil seems to spread
    Let’s spread the Word
    Honestly, this prayer is not for Paul, or for me, it is for the GOSPEL to spread more rapidly
    But just because the Word spreads…there is no guarantee of its acceptance
    Pray that it would be glorified
    This takes God’s involvement
    Paul prayed that hearers would glorify Christ by receiving the Gospel
    2 - Deliverance from evil, from the perverse
    Paul did not pray for protection so that he could share the Gospel
    Paul asked prayer for protection WHILE he shared the Gospel
    He was not going to stop
    Make it a point
    We share the WORD - Period
    Pray that God protects us AS WE DO - together
    Pray as we near Gospel Sunday
    Who are the perverse? Anyone not believing the Gospel
    Paul was, and We are, opposed by:
    “Good” people who are lost
    Religious people who think we take this too seriously
    Haters of Jesus
    (SLIDE)
    Luke 11:23 NASB95
    “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.
    There is no such thing as middle ground —- with Jesus, or against Him
    This is our mission field (state, nation…)
    And REM - God is faithful, He is our strength WHILE we share (v 3)
    (SLIDE)
    Matthew 28:20 NASB95
    teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

    2) Prayer Offered

    Never forget, in the middle of the fight
    The LORD is faithful
    HIS FAITHFULNESS GUARANTEES
    1 - Suffering has meaning
    2 - Evil will be dealt with
    3 - Our future is secure
    Paul prays encouragement for that church
    Allow me to pray encouragement to THIS church - NOW (?)
    Continue in spreading the Word
    Or…get going!
    God desires for the Gospel to spread and the local church to survive
    Paul desired for the Gospel to spread and the local church to survive
    Do you desire this?
    Regarding faithfulness of God
    His protection does NOT mean absence of conflict
    His protection encourages and urges our perseverance
    Get that!
    ?? (Chiasm of 1-2 3-4?)
    1 - Paul’s missions work to continue
    2 - Paul’s deliverance from evil men
    3 - Church to be delivered from evil
    4 - Church confidently continuing the work
    ? Examples of evil afflicting and affecting the church ?
    The church needs to show Christian love and endurance - while remaining faithful to the truth and the Gospel
    FOR THOSE IN THE CHURCH LIVING INAPPROPRIATELY - Paul includes them
    Unrealistic to think EVERY person there was a believer and living for the LORD
    Unrealistic to think EVERY person here is as well
    As we share and live out the Gospel
    It WILL effect those here who are not yet on board - not beyond hope
    (SLIDE)
    James 5:16 NASB95
    Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
    Our prayer can accomplish the strengthening of our church
    Repentance and change of behavior can result
    Strengthening the bond we have
    ?? Paul is preparing in the next section to challenge that church
    So strap in and hang on….

    3) Praise for the Example

    Christ led the way by example
    (SLIDE)
    Philippians 2:5–8 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
    Philippians 2:8 NASB95
    Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
    Jesus did not give up on those in error, He testified of the truth
    The truth offended people, He did not!
    I, we, present truth, and if that offends people, so be it
    The truth offends those who are not living in it
    The choice is to ignore truth or repent
    Christ persevered, Paul prayed for that perseverance
    Jesus did not grow weary, He sought more strength from the Father
    Jesus did not give up on the lost, HE FINISHED!
    Paul’s opponents wanted to stop the spread of the Gospel
    Our opponents want the same
    Ever wonder why?
    I mean, if this is nonsense, if God is not real…
    Why do people push so hard against it, and us?
    We speak truth, and the world says we are full of hate
    We are opposed - so we persevere
    The Gospel is still true
    And the Gospel is personal
    If people acknowledge God, they must die to self, they must admit someone is more important than them
    Our world is depraved - is now, was then
    (SLIDE)
    Romans 1:28 NASB95
    And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper…
    They must stop worshiping self
    That’s what it comes down to
    When you fail to acknowledge God, He will let you
    We live surrounded by those on the verge of not acknowledging God
    Let’s not give up on them
    Let’s focus on having the attitude of Christ
    When you do, the noise and junk becomes background
    It starts close to home, sometimes very close
    Love truth, love jesus
    Speak truth
    Live truth
    And let God change hearts
    Pray for me
    I’ll pray for you
    Let’s pray for US

      • Luke 11:23NASB95

      • Matthew 28:20NASB95

      • James 5:16NASB95

      • Philippians 2:8NASB95

      • Romans 1:28NASB95

  • God Will Make A Way
  • Shine Jesus Shine

      • 2 Thessalonians 3:5NASB95

The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
cornerstone@wabash.net
618-723-2779
https://cccnoble.faithlifesites.com
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